Samoon (Iraq)

(10 servings)

  • 3 Tablespoons dry yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 8 cups white bread flour
  • 1 cup wheat bran
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 2 cups milk or buttermilk mixed with 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup oil

  • For The Glaze:
  • 1 egg whisked with 1 Tablespoon water
Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water and set aside 5 min

In a big bowl mix flour, bran and salt. Make a well in the middle.

Pour yeast mixture, water and oil into the well. with a wooden spoon stir it and then with oily hands knead it for 6-7 min. Oil it on both sides and set it aside covered in a warm place, until doubled in size

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Punch down dough, divide it into 10 portions, let it rest for 10 min.

Quickly roll one piece between the palms until it becomes 7-8 inches long. Lay it flat on baking sheet, flatten to broaden the middle part and make it look diamond shaped with nippled ends. Repeat with rest of the portions.

Take a very sharp knife or razor blade and make 2 diagonal or one long slash in the middle. Allow it to rise in a warm place covered with a linen towel for about 30 min.

When done rising, glaze it and put it in oven. Take a spray bottle with warm water and spray the breads, inside the oven and the oven door and quickly shut to avoid the moisture going out. Do the spraying twice during the first 5 min of baking. Bake 15-18 min, when done put it in big paper bag lined with linen towel, if you want it very crisp, let it cool on a rack.


This is a traditional Iraqi Flat Bread recipes (sometimes called Arabic Flat Bread). It's usual had for breakfast with jam or cheese, but I like it with scrambled eggs here.


Mr Breakfast would like to thank mikorz for this recipe.

Recipe number 2651. Submitted 11/1/2009.